Ragnarök
by MerryAnchor16
Summary: When Loki's reoccurring nightmare finally comes true, he and Thor are torn apart across separate parts of the galaxy. Trapped and desperate, Loki calls on the only people he knows who will help- The Avengers. Soon enough, the universe is threatened once again and Loki embarks on a quest that will test the bonds of brotherhood (No pairings but FrostIron hinted at).
1. Chapter 1

**Ragnarök: The Doom of the Thunder God**

**Prologue**

The God of Mischief slept restlessly. He thrashed and tossed and turned, his forehead beaded with sweat and his hands clenching the silk covers so tight his knuckles creaked in protest. "No," He muttered, "N-no!" He was trapped in his dream, believing it to be true; reality could wait. His eyebrows knitted together strongly, he ground his teeth, tore the covers off himself and with a cry of 'NO!' jolted awake.

He shot up; eyes wide and heart racing so fast he thought it would explode out of his chest. He trembled violently as images burned his mind, scarring his thoughts. It took him a moment to hear the banging on his door, "Loki? Loki! Open up brother!" But Loki sat there, too scared to move, too scared even to reply. He stared in horror at the door, like a man seeing the fiery depths of Hell, "Loki?!" He heard a loud curse, followed by a brief pause which was broken by the bedroom doors flying open and slamming off the walls, "Brother!" Thor Odinson, king of Åsgard burst in, his blue eyes wild and Mjölnir raised threateningly as he readied himself to fight the danger.

Loki found the will to speak upon seeing the Demi-God, "Thor?" He squeaked pathetically, his body relaxing with relief. Thor lowered the hammer and relieved himself of the battle stance, his brow furrowed,

"Brother, what is wrong?"

"I'm sorry- just a bad dream," Loki mumbled, more to himself than Thor. He sat up properly and rubbed his temples lightly, "I will be fine."

"You were screaming. I would hardly define that as 'fine'," Thor replied, crossing the room and sitting himself on the bed by Loki's feet, "Tell me what troubles you so."

Loki looked at the god, unable to resist those large, sad-looking puppy dog eyes. With his shoulder-length, straggly hair, he looked like an overgrown Golden Retriever left out in the rain. He took a collective breath, "It was... The same thing I saw last time. It is haunting me, Thor; I cannot even _sleep_ properly..."

The God of Thunder placed a strong but gentle hand on Loki's shoulder, he squeezed softly, "Look at me brother," Loki looked, "It wasn't real. It was just a dream and nothing more, agreed?"

Loki wanted more than anything to believe him, but in no way was it possible for a dream to be _that_ vivid or _real_. He clasped a hand on Thor's cold metallic arm-guard, "...Agreed." The blonde smiled broadly and pulled Loki into a tight embrace- the god still didn't know his own strength. But Loki wrapped his arms around him anyway, grateful for the affection his clumsy adoptive brother never failed to show. Thor held him out at arms length, his face serious, "If this dream does bother you so then perhaps in the morning, we shall pay a Niorun a visit? I'm sure she shall put your mind to rest."

Loki gave a small smile, "I would very much like that."

"Then I shall leave you to sleep," Thor said, leaning down to plant a kiss on his head, "Goodnight to you, brother."

"Goodnight."

With that, Thor left, his heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway. Loki waited until the sound had ceased all together before lying back on the cushions to stare at the silver ceiling. He did not lull back into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I'd already written most of this fanfic anyways because I didn't think I would be putting it up here :S The beginning of the story will be a little slow- Setting the scene and whatnot- but it'll soon pick up (: **

**In response to GingerNinjaRules : Loki's dream will be explained later on, but not in this chapter though (:**

**Let me know what you think- reviews are magical and much appreciated (: **

**Chapter One:**

Thor locked the two bulky golden cuffs around Loki's wrists, an ashamed look on his face as he did so, "I'm sorry Loki, this was not my doing. But father insisted..." He trailed off and Loki dipped his head; he didn't need to hear the rest. The cuffs were one of Odin's 'precautions', made to sap away his magic levels and render him powerless whilst out among the public. The other was a muzzle designed to stop him from using his silver tongue to persuade people to do his will, but today he would not be wearing it- Thor and Frigga had made it very clear to Odin that it was a cruel, unnecessary device that did more harm to the wearer than was acceptable (Loki's bloodied cheeks from last time was proof of this). He gave Thor a wry smile, "I understand. I do not blame the Allfather for such anxiety. I guess I have earned such a reaction."

The blonde shook his head, "I still do not like it."

"It is much better than being locked up for eternity, is it not?"

"I suppose..." Thor muttered and snapped the final clasp shut. He turned each cuff either way in turn, "They are not too tight are they? Do they hurt?"

Loki felt touched by such concern for him, especially considering it was concern he had not earned. He failed to see how Thor, the handsome one, the strong one, the _king_ of Åsgard had time to care about him; Loki the Trickster; Loki the monster. His eyes burned a little, "No, they are not painful nor tight." Thor beamed at him, and held out his right arm to one of the massive arched windows that lined the walls of the room. A second later, Mjölnir shot into his hand and he clasped it tightly,

"Then let us take our leave," He smiled.

Thor paced the way down the main roadway that led from the palace to the centre of the city. He took large strides but stopped every so often to make sure the younger Demi-god was still behind him. Loki dawdled, not deliberately, but because he was rarely allowed out of the palace and occasions like this had to be savoured.

The sky was a bold, intense blue as usual- it only rained when Thor was in a really, really bad mood- and the feeling of fresh air in his lungs made him feel invigorated and lively again. Thor smiled as he stood and watched his brother become _Loki_ again; the bright green-eyed boy he used to play hide-and-seek with in the palace gardens when they were children; the brother who would joke about his lack of intelligence but would sit with him for hours trying to show him ridiculously long calculations and how to spell complex words. Looking at Loki now, smiling broadly with his eyes closed as he enjoyed the warmth of the sun, it was hard to believe that he was responsible for so much destruction and war. What could have driven him to such madness? Thor didn't know- he probably would never know- but he did not care; his brother was back with him, and that was all that truly mattered.

"Loki!" He called and the God of Mischief opened one emerald eye to look at him, "Do you not wish to speak with Niorun?"

"Come Thor, the day is still young," Came the reply, "Besides it may be quite some time before I am let out of my quarters again. Could you not let me enjoy my taste of freedom?"

"Of course you may enjoy the day, but you would do well to use it to socialise with your fellow men. Father thinks that-"

"Well I do not care for what father thinks!" Loki snapped suddenly, both eyes snapping open to glare down at the Thunder God with hurt and anguish, "He has no right to suggest what my actions should be!" Thor raised both his hands in surrender, his face a sign of alarm,

"Brother please do not be angry! I was merely relaying an idea upon to you."

"Well I do not ask for it! You have no idea what it is like to be shunned from your kind, both gods and Frost Giants alike. You've no clue of how it feels to be isolated, to know that every time pair of eyes befalls on you it is out of disappointment or disgust."

Thor could feel his anger rumbling in the pit of his stomach and sliding up his throat. He closed his eyes and swallowed it down; he would not cause an argument today. When he opened them again, Loki still stood there with flamed cheeks. He released a slow, calming breath, "I have no wish to quarrel with you, Loki. Please accept my apologies; I should not have spoken out of order. I did not mean to offend you. I am sorry."

Loki nodded awkwardly, "I accept," Then he moved swiftly, stalking past Thor with light, cat-like steps, "We've wasted too much time here."

Thor followed, keeping a wide birth between him and his sulky brother; he did not wish to aggravate him further. In some ways, Loki's temper was just as fearsome as his own. Deciding that the god needed space and time, Thor amused himself with anything vaguely interesting. He pulled a few loganberries off a nearby tree and plucked them one by one off the branch and into his mouth, wiping the juice off his chin with his sleeve. Then, bored of food, he twirled Mjölnir to the speed which was desired for flight and hovered a few feet off the ground to land on the wall of the palace bridge. He walked along it, slowly picking up the courage to jog then run along the narrow beam and then, trusting his footing leapt into the air and front flipped twice before landing gracefully. From the centre of the bridge came a snort. Thor looked up to see Loki rolling his eyes. He arched an eyebrow,

"You think you can do better than me, brother?"

"I do not think, I _know_ I can do better," Loki said, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

Thor laughed softly and pointed at the wall on the other side of the bridge, "Then do enlighten me!"

Loki grinned now, then jogged and hopped onto the second narrow beam, "If there is one thing I have always bested you at, Thor, it is agility." He bent his knees and broke into a sprint immediately, his footing as sure as a mountain goat before springing into a somersault and gambolling to his feet in one elegant movement. He then waved his shackled wrists at Thor, "No hands!" He called and laughed, "Beat that you stumbling, clumsy oaf!"

"Oaf?!" Thor growled playfully and pointed a finger at the younger god, "I will give you a chance to take that back, brother!"

Loki poked out his tongue, "Never!"

"Then I shall make you take it back!" He roared and dived across to Loki's wall. The younger god cried out in mock fear before taking off like a spooked doe. Thor unleashed Mjölnir with a strong arm, aiming to catch his right heel and send him toppling back onto the pathway, but Loki was too fast. Hearing the displaced air whistling from behind him, the god of mischief flung himself into a neat back flip. When he landed, he rocked back onto one heel and brought down his shackled arms to meet the hammer on the rebound and, using its momentum, cart wheeled over it. He looked back at the thunder god who was looking at him with surprise. He flashed a wicked smile, "Last one to the fountain in the city centre has to muck out Selipnir's stable for a week!"

"I accept your challenge!" Thor boomed and began to whirl his hammer above his head.

"But the rule is that you are not to use Mjölnir; if I can't use magic, neither can you."

Thor lowered the weapon and grinned, "An even greater challenge," He smiled, "Then you'd best prepare to lose!" But Loki had gone, running so fast he was but a blur on the bridge wall. Thor cried out and shot after him, racing to the centre of Åsgard.

Loki looked up at the enraged faces of the Warriors Three from where he lay on the ground. His head throbbed painfully from where it had hit the cobblestones and he thought he felt a trickle of blood sliding down his forehead. He was not used to being in pain; his magic usually repaired him within a matter of seconds; but the cuffs continued to sap his power and no painkiller came to his aid. He groaned and tried to get up, but a heavy boot on his chest pressed him back down.

"Well, well, well. I do believe we've caught ourselves an escapist from Odin's palace," A deep voice grumbled. Loki blinked and the bearded face of Volstagg melted into focus, he frowned,

"Escapist? I can assure you I am no such thing," he said, wincing. His head hurt even to talk. Another Warrior, blonde haired and blue eyed peered down at him,

"Then why did we find you fleeing at quite a speed with your hands bound?"

Then it came flooding back, "What? I think you have wrongly accused me. You see, I was being chased by Thor-" Loki stopped, realising how that must have sounded.

"That's all we needed to hear," Volstagg said, he looked at the other two Warriors, "Pick him up."

Two pairs of arms snatched Loki up roughly and he moaned as his head sent a bolt of pain rattling through him, another dribble of something warm fell down his face, "Please, brothers, I mean you nor anyone here any harm. Let's not be hasty, for this is all a big misunderstanding," He pleaded. Volstagg squinted at him,

"Why does he not wear his muzzle? We cannot trust anything he says for he has a tongue as sly as a fox," Loki rolled his eyes- he'd heard this a million times- but nothing prepared him for the sting of what was said next, "A tongue worthy of an Ice Giant."

Loki felt his cheeks burning and his lip curled up in a snarl, "You would not dare to speak to me that way if I was without these binds! You would cower before me you- mmm!" The Demi-god was cut off by a muzzle-rather like his old one- that was clamped over his mouth and clasped tightly shut. The metal bit his cheeks and his bottom lip, he growled viciously.

"Finally," Volstagg laughed, "A bit of peace and quiet!"

Loki kicked him hard.

Volstagg immediately stopped guffawing at his own joke to grab Loki by the throat and slam him into a house wall. The impact was hard enough to make him see stars and his ears rang shrilly. He fell onto his front harshly and slowly tried to pick himself up, his joints aching dully. Volstagg stood over him, "You are a criminal now Loki; a prisoner of Åsgard. Don't hold yourself so high up. I have heard of the things you did to Midgard. And you say you love Thor, but I remember what you did to him- you killed him in cold blood."

Loki closed his eyes and tried to hide his face. No, no, he wasn't like that anymore. He was different now; no longer hungry for power and revenge.

"You may have Thor fooled, but you will _not_ fool _us_."

"What is going on here?" Loki heard a very familiar voice say. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, "Loki!" The voice cried, the tone panic-stricken, and Thor pushed through the small ring the Warriors Three had formed around him. He took in a sharp breath when he saw Loki and his face fell into shadow. The blue sky suddenly switched to black. Thor turned to his friends, "Who is to blame for this?" He growled, deep and threatening. The three Warriors looked at each other nervously. The blonde one stepped forward,

"We saw him making great haste from the palace with his hands bound. We believed he was escaping and moved in to detain him-"

"He was with me, Fandral!" Thor boomed, thunder echoed off somewhere in the distance. On the street, passersby began to crowd to take a look at what was unfolding from the small group. Fandral stepped back slightly,

"We did not see you, sire. We only assumed-"

"Then you do NOT assume!" He shouted, briefly glancing back at Loki who was shakily getting to his feet, "And where did you receive the muzzle? They are banned from use upon my brother!"

"Sire we were not informed."

"Then you will inform all the other guards and warriors that this is not an acceptable piece of equipment!"

The Warriors Three immediately bowed their heads, "Of course, sire."

As the crowd moved away, Thor stepped towards Loki, "Brother, I apologise for the way my friends acted towards you," Loki dipped his head, and Thor remembered the muzzle strapped to his face. He put his arms out and reached around the back of Loki's head to twist the clasp. The metal fell off and Thor grabbed it in one hand and squeezed until it crumpled in on itself and was rendered useless. Loki opened and closed his mouth tentatively, wincing slightly. Thor dropped the mangled remains of the muzzle and pressed his fingers on a small gash on his forehead, "Brother they hurt you," He muttered, sounding appalled.

Loki moved back from the contact, "I am fine, it was just a misunderstanding. They did not harm me."

"But you are bleeding!" Thor protested. Loki laughed in disbelief,

"I do not understand you, Thor. After all I've done, after I _killed_ you all those years ago, you still care for me. Why? What have I done to deserve such kindness?"

"You have changed, Loki. Yes, you did indeed kill me once back on Midgard, but I forgave you. I'll always forgive you Loki, because you are my brother. I don't care if it is only by bond; I'll always love you and care for you."

The god of mischief blinked; was this truly how the thunder god felt? If there was one thing this world had taught him it was that no one was trustworthy; who was to say Thor wasn't lying? _You should know, _chided a small snide voice in his head, _you are after all the god of mischief and lies..._ He shook his head to rid himself of such a bitter thought, glanced at the thunder god briefly then spun on his heel and walked away without another word in the direction of Niorun's house, leaving Thor to watch him go with hurt and confused eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: The Avengers belong to Marvel no matter how much I want them... but I do own Jaegurn though (:**

**Enjoy! **

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Tony Stark sat at his desk with his hands gripping either side of his head in heavy thought. The only light in the lab came from the two lamps positioned at the farthest corners of the desk. He hadn't slept properly for a week and empty cans of caffeinated drinks scattered the floor. Pepper Potts may have walked in earlier to say something, but Tony wasn't sure whether that had actually happened or his brain was conjuring memories from sleep deprivation. He pushed himself upright in his chair and snatched his mobile from the pile of papers and fragmented metal it was buried under. He winced at the brightness of the screen: _seventy missed calls_. He flicked through the numbers, some from Pepper and some from Steve Rogers and loads from Nick Fury. He wiped them off the memory and deleted all the voice mails. He didn't have time for people right now, people were too boring, too dull and uninteresting, "Unlike you," He muttered, reaching out to run his fingertips over the cold metal pole of what was until recently Loki Laufeyson's sceptre. The massive chunk of the Tesseract glowed brightly from its casing, reflecting in Tony's dark tired eyes.

This was where the future of the Avengers was, he was certain of it. Unlimited power at the heart of what the papers called 'The Earth's Mightiest Heroes'. Already he had drawn up plans for a new suit of armour that would run off his new Arc Reactor he had also planned. The Reactor would now be powered by fragments of the Tesseract; if the one he had now could run his heart for fifty lifetimes, imagine how long the shrapnel could be held at bay by _unlimited power_. But he had collided with the inevitable speed bump; would his body accept such a foreign object? He couldn't afford to just put it into himself. If the material was as unstable as he and Bruce Banner believed it to be then there was no telling what it could do to him, and neither he or Fury were willing to take the risk.

His phone rang, making him jump, _"Mister Stark, you have an incoming call from Clint Barton," _JARVIS- the AI butler- announced. Tony rubbed his eyes,

"Decline the call. I'm not feeling talkative today."

"_As you wish sir, but I would like to point out that you have not been very 'talkative' for nine days now."_

"If I want your opinion JARVIS, I'll ask for it."

"_Very well then,"_

Tony scooted his chair back and stood up, "Turn up the lights," He ordered. The lights hummed to life and Tony cried out in surprise when Clint Barton appeared out of nowhere, holding a mobile in one hand.

"There was no answer," He said, as if that would explain his intrusion. Tony bristled,

"So much for the high-tech security, JARVIS," He mumbled.

"_I'm terribly sorry sir, but even _I _failed to detect his presence... It appears he has blown the back door to your laboratory off with some kind of electromagnetic charge though."_

Tony raised an eyebrow, "You blew my door up?"

Clint shrugged casually, "I didn't know the secret knock."

Tony shook his head, "So why are you here? I'm sorry, but I don't think you've come out of concern for a dear friend."

"Fury wants to know what you're up to."

"Of course he does," Tony laughed, "Isn't it a habit of his- to know what _everyone_ is up to?"

Clint folded his arms, "Why haven't you been keeping up your part of the contract?"

"Contract? What contract?"

"Don't mess with me Stark, you know you owe SHIELD the weapons you promised. Where are they?"

Tony leaned back against the desk smirking, "On their blueprints."

"What?"

"I haven't made them in other words."

Barton pinched the bridge of his nose, "Tony..."

"I'm on to something, Clint: unlimited power for each one of us. The Avengers will be unstoppable. Those weapons will be _useless_ when I've figured out how to harness the energy-"

"Tony!" Barton snapped, "You owe Fury weapons; you signed a contract. If you don't keep up your side of the bargain it will be _you _who becomes useless. This unlimited power can wait. The world needs weapons Tony and no one makes them better than you."

Stark shook his head and grabbed the sceptre off the table. He held it between them, the blue glow of the Tesseract glinting off Barton's tinted shades, "Imagine it. Unlimited power being supplied to your arrows, or becoming an alloy to make you an unbreakable bow or an armoured vest that can never be penetrated: Think, an Ultimate Hawkeye.

I can adapt it to anyone of us; make us all _invincible_. I wouldn't have to worry about the power Iron Man saps off me. I'd be greater, faster and stronger- we all would be. The world will benefit from this; we all would."

Clint looked at him for a long moment.

"... Fury still wants those weapons."

Tony sighed and placed the sceptre back on its stand, the Tesseract hummed quietly like the purr of a cat. He narrowed his eyes at the assassin, "I wouldn't have expected you to understand anyway." He pulled out his chair again and sat down, gazing at the way the blue glow of the Tesseract pulsed- almost like a heart, "I don't expect anyone to understand." His phone blipped, he didn't even bother looking this time.

Clint picked the device up and pulled off his shades to read the message: '_Tony where are you? I've checked all the houses but you're not there. Could you at least message me? I'm worried about you- Pepper xx.' _Apparently, Pepper didn't walk in earlier.

"Denying contact with people?"

"What I do is none of your business."

"Fury warned me you'd be like this..."

Tony stood up quickly, knocking the chair off balance and sending it crashing to the floor, "If you love Fury so much, why don't you marry him?" He snapped and then strode away heading for the elevator. Clint stepped back, making no attempt at stopping him and watched with dark glittering eyes for a while before slipping his glasses back on.

Tony got in the lift and hit the up button harder than he intended. The doors hissed shut behind him, "JARVIS? See to it that Clint is off the property the moment I step out of these doors."

"_Of course, sir."_

He tapped his fingers in an erratic pattern on the rail, the quiet AC/DC music playing doing nothing to calm his anger. How dare Fury send someone to check up on him? He wasn't two! Why didn't anyone understand the work he was doing, the future he was building up to?

"_Sir, Mister Barton has left the premises."_

"Thank you, JARVIS."

The lift doors hissed as it stopped at the second floor and Stark stepped out into the kitchen slash living room. The lights sparked into life at his presence and faded to a soft glow as the mid-morning sun provided enough light. He ran a hand through his knotted hair and made for the kitchen- God, he needed a drink. He opened the cooler on the side and took out a bottle of beer. He stopped and looked at the alcohol in his hand, thinking to Pepper and how disappointed she'd be in him for drinking again. For a moment his anger cooled and, slowly, he put the beer back and shut the door. He flicked on the coffee machine.

"Tony."

Stark jumped, losing balance, and caught himself on the work surface. Clint Barton got up from the sofa, an apologetic smile on his face, "Sorry."

"I thought he had left," Tony said pointedly, "How did he get back in?"

"_I have no idea sir; even this one is beyond me."_

Tony muttered something about 'crappy' security systems before pointing at Barton, "How'd you get back in?"

Clint shrugged with an all-knowing smirk, "Tony, I'm an assassin, enough said."

"You're not welcome here, you know."

"Oh come on, don't sulk."

"I'm not sulking!"

"Yes you are! Look Tony, I wish I could keep Fury off your back, I really do, but you know he won't stop until he gets what he wants. He wanted to come talk to you today himself but I managed to talk him out of it- if you'd have seen the mood he was in you'd be thanking me right now."

Tony snorted, "Ooh what's he gonna do? Smack me with his eye patch?" He put a mug under the coffee machine's nozzle, "What doesn't he understand? I don't make weapons anymore. I signed that paper before the whole humanitarian in me kicked off. That signature, that contract, has become invalid." The machine dinged and Tony pulled the mug away, the rich scent of coffee pervading the room.

Clint shook his head, "I don't think you fully understand. Fury has-"

"No," Tony snapped, his voice irritable, "I don't think _you_ understand, Clint. I said no, okay? And no matter how many threats Fury gives me I am not changing my mind."

Barton put his hands up in defeat, "Fine, have it your way. But when Fury comes banging on your door, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'm so scared," Tony drawled sarcastically, taking a swig of the coffee in his hands. Clint bristled slightly,

"Goodbye, Stark," He said abruptly, turning on his heel and leaving via the doors on the far side of the room. Tony grinned lopsidedly and snorted softly. What was Fury going to do to him? What _could_ he do to him? Tony was the reason Fury had a Helicarrier in the first place; he'd provided him with so much funding and Stark Industries could easily take it away again. Tony Stark, as far as SHIELD was concerned, was _untouchable_. Like Tony said over a year ago 'You can't afford me'. He took another swig of his drink before emptying the rest down the sink and turned back to the lift once more, confidence bubbling within him and a broad smile on his face.

Because no one could afford Tony Stark.

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Niorun's house stood at the far side of the city on the western boarders. Well, house wasn't really the word to describe it. It was built in a style that was almost Roman with large marbled pillars that supported each corner of the black metallic roof, gossamer panels toppling down each side. Flint black steps led up to the arched entrance where a soft silvery glow- like moonlight- flooded gently out. The lulling sound of harps and cello greeted Thor and Loki as they entered, wrapping them in an atmosphere of peace and serenity. Already, Thor began to feel the gentle tug of sleep but forced his eyes to remain open. Loki, however, remained unaffected even as the music lapsed into a harmony so beautifully soft it wrenched Thor's heart. Loki raised an eyebrow, "Niorun?" The harps dipped in volume slightly and light footsteps rung out. A head appeared around the corner,

"Yes?" Niorun asked her voice as sweet and harmonic as the music that filled the room. She stepped onto the tiled floor beneath, her feet bare and so white they appeared to shimmer. Her body was cloaked in a black and silver robe that tumbled off her in all the right places and her head was concealed by a fine dark veil. Loki nodded politely,

"Niorun, we seek an audience with-"

He was cut off by the sound of the goddess laughing, sounding like tinkling bells, "You're brother has fallen asleep," She snickered. Loki turned and, sure enough, Thor stood with his head lolled forward and eyes closed a snore rumbling in his chest. The god of Mischief sighed and reached out, a long bony finger prodding the Thunderer and causing him to wake with a start. Thor looked down at the floor, confusion on his face, "Sorry, I must have-"

"That is quite alright, not all have the power to resist my lullaby," Niorun said calmly before turning to Loki, "Unlike you, never have I met someone with so much determination to not fall asleep. Especially for someone who has not slept well for a long time. Tell me, what troubles you?"

"I do not wish to say," he replied darkly, "I am here on Thor's suggestion-"

Thor butted in, "Ignore my brother for he speaks in nothing but riddles. He came with me in the hope that you might be able to decipher his dreams."

"What type of dream?" She asked.

"A nightmare," Loki answered, "It came to me once a few years ago but I thought nothing of it. Now... now I see it often, far too often for my liking." He made to elaborate but Niorun pressed a soft, cold finger against his lips.

"Follow me," She murmured, turning on her heel. Loki looked at Thor questioningly and was greeted with the same expression. She glanced back over her shoulder, "Both of you." She added.

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The Chitauri ship had drifted through space for the last year, finally resting at a small isolated island in the centre of a blood red nebula where not even Heimdall himself could keep his all-knowing eyes on. The island was nothing more than a flint black barren plain with a craggy brown rock archway which looked as though it could have belonged to a castle or some kind of fort. But, for all lack of appearances, this small island with its crumbling archway held certain doom for a certain someone. A certain someone the Chitauri wanted most definitely dead.

Mikaloch regarded the island from one of the fifty screens that lined the wall and grinned, "Prepare to land," He ordered. The Chitauri pilot nodded and began flicking switches erratically. _Almost over a year of searching_, he thought, _a whole year of planning is finally going to pay off._

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Unbeknownst to the Chitauri, someone _was _on that barren little island. He stood to attention, his head turned to the ground and his back straight. On his right hip sat a serrated blade fashioned out of a dragon's claw and varnished to a gleam with snake's venom. His torso was clad in silver chainmail reinforced with emerald snakeskin and black plated armour. Across his chest were strapped three leather bars that met at his left shoulder and housed five dragon claw throwing knives and an assortment of snake fang shurikens. His straw coloured hair was messy and unkempt and hung over his right blue eye, revealing a yellow left eye with a black slit pupil. Five dark green scales ran from the corner of that eye and trailed down his cheekbone. His left ear was pierced by five metal hoops and a dragon's fang which he had earned whilst battling it to the death. His skin was pale and shimmered like a reptiles', his lips were deep red and when he smiled he had one upper canine that was longer and sharper than the others. His left arm was decorated by deep blue runes tattooed into his flesh, one depicted his name; Jaegurn.

For two thousand years Jaegurn had stood guard at the archway, never sleeping and Odin's magic giving him no need to eat. He knew not what time was anymore and Åsgard was worlds away from him. Behind him the light of the archway swirled like ink droplets in water, lining his body with an eerie glow and casting a somewhat angelic halo around his head. Unlike any other guard, Jaegurn shared a special bond with his principal; his mind was bonded to the arch and island. He felt every movement of it, every slither and heartbeat of the monsters he kept locked away. So when he felt something press down on the soil beneath his feet he knew immediately that someone had trespassed. Slowly, his tattooed hand brushed against the weapons decorating his chest. He lifted his head up and surveyed the barren plain, eyes glittering in the glow of the nearby stars,

"I am not a man to be trifled with," He stated, his voice seeming to tear apart the surrounding silence, "So tell me why you are here."

There came no reply, but Jaegurn felt the pulse of five separate heartbeats tremor through his mind, "I know you're there. Tell me who you are- it's rude to kill someone without knowing their name." Four of the heartbeats increased rapidly and the warrior smiled, unhooking a throwing star from his chest. Suddenly, a figure melted into vision in front of him. The creature stood eight feet tall, a whole head taller than Jaegurn, and was clothed in blackened armour of which the likes the Asgardian had never seen. His eyes were blank orbs of milky white seated in grey sunken sockets and his mouth a lipless jagged tooth smile. A black cape billowed around him, not on an invisible breeze, but as though the fabric had a life of its own, twisting and coiling as it pleased. Four more creatures appeared behind him with insect like heads and bulky arms hefting guns. The white-eyed man licked where his bottom lip should be and drew in a rattled breath,

"I am Mikaloch of the Chitauri and I am here to kill you," He rasped his voice dry and hoarse.

At that Jaegurn smiled, "And why would you go and do a thing like that?"

It was hard to tell by the lack of pupils, but the way the Chitauri leader cocked his head gave Jaegurn the impression he was staring into the archway, "To avenge our fallen brothers who were so brutally slaughtered."

The Asgardian flicked a few stray hairs casually from his eye, revealing the mismatched irises, "Ah, well, you see I'm afraid I can't let you do that," With the deadly accuracy of a cobra, his wrist flicked and one of the armed Chitauri toppled to the ground, a shuriken lodged neatly in its throat. He plucked three more stars from his chest belt and fixed Mikaloch with a cold, hardened glare, "I'll give you one chance to leave."

The leader turned his back and began to walk away. The Chitauri lowered their weapons ever so slightly. Mikaloch raised his hand, "Kill him."

Before any trigger could be pulled, Jaegurn's hands darted out and with a flash of sharpened bone, the remaining three guards dropped down dead. His hands moved again, but with a wave of his hand Mikaloch deflected the knives with ease and they clattered to the ground in a pathetic heap. Within a second he was upon Jaegurn, a hand tightly pressed against his throat as he lifted his body up off the floor a few inches.

Jaegurn gasped, trying to breathe in air wouldn't come. He grabbed at Mikaloch's wrist, clawing and slapping at the armour. The grasp on his windpipe tightened until his head pounded and the hammering of his heart banged against his eardrums. Keeping one hand busy trying to prise him free, he used the other to snatch at the handle of the sword on his hip. He felt it brush against his fingers over and over but his fingers would not obey him. Black dots bloomed at the corner of his vision and his lungs burned like wild fire. He heard Mikaloch's laugh like the sound of a blade scraping against stone and the sword was snatched from his reach,

"Such a waste," the Chitauri leader sneered, "You would have made a valuable ally," With that he thrust his hand forward and Jaegurn stiffened in a mixture of surprise and agony as he felt it go through his chest plate, rip through his chainmail and plunge through his skin like a hot knife through butter. He screamed silently and writhed, twisting to break free but Mikaloch's hold was relentless. He lashed out with his feet, but his kicks were pathetic and useless. He felt the fingers inside of him, twisting and sliding around like snakes, as they closed around his heart and squeezed tight. His body jerked awkwardly and Mikaloch finally let him go, throwing him to the floor as though he was nothing.

The Chitauri leader stepped over him, Jaegurn's blood dripping and congealing on his arm. He reached out, stopping in front of the archway and letting his scarlet spattered fingers press lightly against the swirling entrance, causing a ripple to flow out across the surface. From behind he heard the Asgardian wheeze, "No... You cannot do this... don't you understand what you've just unleashed?" From the arch a deep rumble ripped through the air followed by an almighty roar that rattled the bones of the two men and shook them to their core. Mikaloch turned to wreck that was Jaegurn's body and the smile that played on his face was enough to turn what little was left of the warrior's blood to ice,

"Now I shall my revenge."

A dark shadow rose up behind Mikaloch as a monstrosity beyond description clawed its way out of the portal like a beast from a child's worst nightmare. Jaegurn uttered a prayer under his breath. Hoping against hope that Thor Odinson was not in Åsgard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(page break)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Hooray, the Avengers made an appearance! Well, only two of them but that counts right? (:**

**Bit of a cliff hanger I know but I want to keep you all in suspense ;) Any comments or questions please drop a review. The next update will be either the weekend or next week (hopefully the weekend) oh, and next chapter you'll find out what Loki's been dreaming about ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Um, so this is up later than I intended but I had severe writer's block and I had to come up with a prophecy and I'm no good at them :S but I gave it my best. As promised, I have explained Loki's dream (: **

**Before you read, just want to clarify some things.**

**I had to look up for some runes to use in this chapter so I had to go and borrow some Norse Mythology books from the school library and found out that:**

**Frigga (Thor's mum) is an Oracle and a Seeress so therefore she could come up with the prophecy I created.**

**Loki's rune from which his magic stems is called 'Kaen' which means Wildfire, Chaos and World Beyond.**

**Thor's rune is called 'Thúris' which means the Thorny One and victory.**

**The runes Niorun (the Norse goddess of dreams) uses are:**

**Yr – meaning the Protector and the Fundament**

**Bjarkán – meaning revelation, truth, vision and dream**

**That's it, so enjoy and let me know what you think ^-^ **

**(PAGE BREAK)**

"You must remain quiet," Niorun said, referring to the shattered remains of the vase Thor had knocked over on his way into the room, "I am going to be inside Loki's mind. Any sudden noises will break my concentration and if I don't extract my magic correctly I could tear out Loki's soul."

The Trickster shifted on the bed slightly, "And suddenly I'm filled with confidence," He drawled sarcastically, but the worry flickered in green flames in his eyes. The bracelets on his wrists clunked and glinted in the light that seemed to come from all around, he felt the mattress dip as Niorun sat herself down next to him. She placed a hand to his chest, the warmth of her palm seeping through the leather and forming a soothing heat patch on his breastbone,

"I want you to lie back for me and please try to relax, no harm shall come to you here," She murmured but her voice was different, layered with harmonies and melodies that matched the soft background music that echoed through the whole building. The heat spread from his chest, running in a tingling sensation down his torso and up his neck. It danced on his collarbones, coiled through his legs and snaked through the gaps in his ribs. His body slackened, spine curving as he sunk down onto his back smiling in pleasure. He was fast asleep before his head hit the pillow. Niorun, hand remaining firmly on the god's chest, turned to Thor,

"Remove his enchantments," She whispered, gesturing with her fingers at the bracelets. The Thunderer hesitated at this, "You must remove them, sire. If something were to go wrong, Loki would have a chance of defending himself if he could wield his magic." Thor nodded, accepting the logic, and removed the cuffs, wincing at the looseness of Loki's joints and the flop of his wrists. It was like holding a dead body. He unlocked the last clasp, stepping back quickly as the ends of his brother's fingers sparked and fizzed with green energy, the emerald mist that followed formed _Kaen_- Loki's rune from which his magic stemmed. Niorun dipped her head in thanks and pulled down the neck of the Trickster's tunic, tracing the pale skin softly with one finger, humming slightly as runes made of light formed on his flesh in a soft silver glow- _Yr_; for protection; and _Bjarkán_; the goddess' rune for truth and dreams. A trail of shimmering magic leapt from his chest to her hand, she turned her head and though her face was concealed from him, Thor got the impression she was fixing him a stern look,

"I mean it," She warned, "Don't you _dare_ make a sound."

The Thunderer nodded and a second later Niorun vanished with a soft _pop_, leaving the god alone in the room with the unconscious Trickster for company.

**(PAGE BREAK)**

_The dragon slowly circled, heavy feet thudding against the ground and obliterating anything in its path. Loki watched from a distance, unable to move despite how much he wanted to run. His hackles stood on end and his heart pounded ferociously against his chest. Beneath him came a startled whinny and it took him a moment to register the fact he was saddled on a horse- a very familiar eight-legged horse with a charcoal coat, black mane and double jointed fore shoulders and hind legs. Sleipnir reared suddenly and the god cried out, using all his strength to hold on to the reins bound from runes. The horse charged, hooves striking the ground and working up a tremendous rumble of beats and Loki had to fight to stay in the saddle. He snatched at the reins, dug his feet into the stirrups and fed the runes his magic and then pulled with all his power, twisting Sleipnir's head sideways and forcing the demon horse to a standstill. Loki rubbed his eyes which had smarted slightly and looked up._

_They were closer to the dragon now, so close Loki could smell it. The stench reminded him of Jormungand the World Serpent; a mixture of rotting flesh and death that brought bile to the throats of those unfortunate to ever catch a whiff of it. Sleipnir brayed his discomfort and clopped his eight great hoofs as a cry rung out,_

"_TO ME, MJÖLNIR!"_

_The dragon shifted its neck, thousands of pounds worth of muscle writhing under its scales and snorted as though it were laughing. Its enormous tail flicked to the side and Loki's suspicions were confirmed. He gripped the runic reins tightly until his knuckles turned white and creaked in protest._

_Thor Odinson bravely stood his ground despite the sheer size of the beast that had him surrounded. His chest plate was ripped to shreds, his chainmail stripped from his arms and every exposed bit of flesh was either red raw or slashed open. A ferocious snarl twisted his split lips and his blue eyes crackled and fizzed with pure uncontrolled lightning. He threw Mjölnir with enough force to knock someone's head clean off but when it hit the serpent it merely bounced and thudded to the ground. The monster unleashed a feral shriek and Loki's hackles leapt back up again and it brought up a huge clawed foot and by the time Thor understood its motive it was far too late to move. Loki watched as his face dropped and a black shadow fell over him and,_

"_No!" The Trickster yelped, and threw his arms around Sleipnir's neck, shielding his face in the glossy locks of his mane. Tears burned his eyes and sobs choked his throat. He wouldn't watch- he _couldn't_ watch. Not again._

"_Open your eyes, Trickster."_

_Loki almost fell out of the saddle as a hand pressed against his back. Niorun leaned against him and whispered in his ear, "You must open your eyes. Let me see," Her voice was soft, an ill-fitting noise against the sounds of carnage and destruction..._

_And Thor's screams._

_He tightened his grip on Odin's steed and buried his face even deeper as if it would stop his crying. Niorun cooed, "You are my sight whilst I am here, if you do not look how am I supposed to help you?" Loki sniffed, "Loki it is important to remember that this is a dream; it is not _real_."_

_The god nodded, feeling slightly foolish- it was only a figment of his imagination after all- and with a deep breath recovered his head from horse hair. He felt Niorun's body against his as she sat behind him, "Show me what happens to Thor."_

_And so he looked. The Thunderer was down to his knees covered in blood- his own blood, the tell-tale blue runes shimmering within the scarlet. He was broken and defeated, and Loki was certain an arm wasn't supposed to bend that way at all, but he just managed to raise his hand, "Mjölnir," He slurred._

_But the hammer ignored him and remained still on the ground, "Mjölnir?"_

_And now came the part Loki knew all too well,_

"_I can't watch!" The Trickster cried, "You can't make me!"_

"_Loki you must-"_

"_No! Please gods no! Let me out of this Hel! Wake me up!" He screwed his eyes shut, "Make it stop!"_

_He heard the dragon roar, Thor scream, Sleipnir bray and the tearing of flesh and bones cracking-_

**(PAGE BREAK)**

He jolted up screaming, eyes wide, heart racing like a rabbit's, and when he saw Thor at the foot of the bed he only screamed louder and louder. Green and gold sparks of hurried, panicky magic grew into flares of flame on his unshackled arms as it instinctively moved through his body for defence and Thor panicked, ignoring Niorun's cries to remain calm, he curled a fist and walloped the Trickster upside the head, catching his temple and knocking him out cold. Thor panted heavily,

"By the gods, what the Hel was that- _OWW!_" He bellowed as Niorun smacked him round the face,

"You idiot, look what you've done!"

"What do you mean 'what I've done'?" I thought you said he wouldn't come to any harm!"

"He wasn't hurt until you hit him!"

"I didn't hit him _that_ hard..." Thor mumbled his face flushed. Niorun pointed accusingly at the unconscious god on the bed, a deep bruise the size and shape of Thor's knuckles had blossomed on the side of his face and green swirls of healing magic danced over it.

"Why was he screaming then?" Thor demanded eager to change the subject, "What happened?" He folded his arms, biceps flexing over his broad chest. The goddess of drams sat back onto the bed with a sigh and ran gentle fingers along the Trickster's face, lifting up an eyelid to reveal a glassy emerald eye,

"How long has he been suffering?" She finally asked.

The Thunderer frowned, "Excuse me?"

"How long Thor?"

"I do not know exactly..." He mused, "It started about a year ago- after the attack on Midgard- but it went away. Now the dream- from what little he has told me- has come more and more frequently to him. Why, even last night he had the whole palace awake with his screams."

"Has he been suffering headaches?" She pressed, "Any sudden mood swings?"

"Well, yes to both but Loki's always been bad with his mood. One second he can be as happy as anything in the Nine Realms, the next he can be as foul as an angered Bilgesnipe."

The goddess brought her hand up to play with the corner of her veil, she was quiet for a moment, "...Thor, these are not dreams... The headaches, the mood swings, the vividness of what Loki allowed me to see... I have right to believe that this is a vision of things to come," She stood up and moved to the bookshelves at the far end of the room, "Ever since time began I have recorded every dream ever dreamt by anyone," She pulled one book off, the cover was immaculately clean but the pages were yellowed with age, "A good few years ago your mother, Frigga, came to me seeking help with a vision she was not able to decipher," She flicked through, pausing on a single page with silver lettering, she looked up at Thor whom was viewing her with curiosity, "You were both but children, Loki a baby, you perhaps three, maybe four, but I remember that vision well. It was all about you two... ah, here it is:

'_I see Kaen and Thúris, power and tricks,_

_And when the gate crumbles only they can fix._

_Joined by bond, not by blood,_

_One must use his power for good.'"_

The goddess stopped and looked up at the god, his expression was dark and brooding, "Would you like me to continue?"

He nodded once and rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his thumb. Niorun read again,

"'_The Kaen is strong, but not strong enough,_

_His power is beneath him, not above,_

_Held captive by a lonesome knight_

_Whose name burns in the sky so bright._

_A yellow-eyed friend Kaen shall gain,_

_To guide him to the wasteland plain _

_And see the ram upon eight legs ride,_

_All the way to Thúris' side._

_And though it may seem all is not lost,_

_It shall come down to a terrible cost, _

_For where there is death, it shall always be so,_

_And Hel may not be willing to let this one go.'"_

She closed the book with a dull thud, "And that is where it ends... Do not ask me what it means for-"

"Does it mention anything in your book about dragons?" Thor cut in abruptly. Niorun looked up, to see that the god was no longer in front of her but at the window his eyes wide. She ran over to see what he was staring at.

On top of the royal palace stood the largest most horrifying excuse for a reptile she had ever seen. It roared angrily and from the huge rip in the sky above its head, more demons and dragons began to claw their way out, shrieking and snarling and belching flame and ice, "Odin's beard..." she gasped and Thor pulled Mjölnir swiftly from his belt and made haste for the door,

"Keep my brother safe and don't leave the room!" He barked. The sound of peoples screams rung clear through the house and at that moment all Hel broke loose. The goddess of dreams cried out as the windows smashed, the wall was ripped off its foundations and the unconscious god of mischief was flung unceremoniously out of the house by some invisible force. Thor shouted something and ran towards the goddess only to be thrown into the bookcases where he crumpled and did not get back up.

He then vanished into nothingness, Mjölnir following after him with a faint wisp of smoke.

And Niorun could do nothing but stare and listen as the dragons and demons tore Åsgard apart.


	5. Chapter 5

Frigga was usually a very composed woman in a crisis. She had never once cried in public, not when Baldur died, not even when the rest of Åsgard mourned for Loki's apparent 'death'. She would sit there, face calm and firm, whilst everything else fell into chaos; a mountain in the middle of the storm. But today, it seemed she would make an exception. She sprinted through the maze of hallways barefoot, barrelling past the swarms of Warriors and guards who were grabbing and readying their weapons. Her mind was a jumbled mess of panic and what if's. _What if this was a Jotun attack? What if her sons were dead? _And no matter how much she tried to ignore it, one certain phrase pulled and gnawed at the edge of her mind:

_I see Kaen and Thúris, power and tricks,_

_And when the gate crumbles only they can fix._

_Joined by bond, not by blood,_

_One must use his power for good._

She forced it back and ran around the corner and the steps into the gardens. The ground was cold against her naked feet as she turned right swiftly and came to a stop at the stables. The whinnies of twenty distressed horses made her wince in pain; like nails down a chalkboard. She pulled the lock of the largest pen, blasting it with runes when it would not give way and lock fell to dust and vanished. She hauled the door wide open to reveal the largest and most powerful horse in all the Nine Realms. Its coat was charcoal grey and its mane and tail as dark as the deepest pits of Hel. It fixed Frigga with bright green eyes and cuffed the hay with a hoof in greeting, each of its eight legs glowing with a rune- enabling it to be in each of the Worlds apart from Hel and give the Allfather rule over everything. Frigga pressed a palm to its nose,

"It's beginning," She said simply, "You know what to do."

Sleipnir blinked once, nodded his head and bolted out of the stable, building from a trot to a full blown canter. Frigga shielded her eyes as the horse exploded into green flames and with a flash of light disappeared. She straightened up and smiled sadly,

"Help them," She whispered.

**(PAGE BREAK)**

Loki tumbled over and over, mind racing as swirls of haphazard colours streaked past in a blur. Ice cold air pulled at his hair and his clothes, freezing fingers clawing at his face and snatching the breath brutally from his lungs. His skin flickered from blue to white at a sickening pace. Blue. White. Blue. White.

In front of him a black figure toppled in his wake. He tried to reach for it but couldn't move, the pressure around him refusing to let him free. He grunted, hands sparking gold and green as he pushed against the invisible force but his magic was snuffed out like a wet towel over flames. Suddenly a pain more intense than any he'd ever known shot through his body, like a thousand red hot needles all over him. His bones felt liquidised, his head pulsed and he flipped himself over as he threw up. He shuddered and wiped his mouth with the back of one hand, the other supporting his weight as he crouched on the ground.

Wait... ground?

Loki looked up but instantly regretted it. His vision swam and he heaved up the last contents of his stomach,

"Nnngh..." He moaned and coughed, sending an ache down his spine, "What the Hel...?" He looked more closely at the dust and sand beneath him to see the runic inscriptions of the Bifrost coiling beneath his palms, "Heimdall?" He muttered. There was a sudden bang above and Loki found himself sprawled in the dirt, dust caking the roof of his mouth. He hacked and spat out the foul taste, flipping his hair out of his face to get a better look at what was actually going on. As the dust cleared, the god became aware of the body lying face down in the symbol-encrypted circle, he waited watching cautiously.

The body did not move.

Ignoring the protesting creaks of his joints and the dull ache in his fingers and stomach, he crawled over slowly, sharp stones cutting the knees of his slack trousers and dust clouds billowing off his now murky green tunic. On closer inspection, he could now see that the body was in fact a _man_- a man who looked very much like he was dying the most horrible death. His straw coloured hair was splayed out around his head like a mane, amber and emerald beads glinting from his many knotted braids. His eyes were glassy and half shut but that wasn't what peaked Loki's curiosity- oh, no- it was the _colour_. One eye was bright blue like a sapphire and the other was a poisonous yellow with green scales on the surrounding skin to match.

The man twitched and Loki yelped in surprise, caught off guard, and his hand fell onto the man's armour and _passed right through_. The god looked down and made a strangled noise like a cat being put through a paper shredder as he saw his arm, now plunged in wrist-deep in the man's chest. He snatched it straight back out again, wincing as congealed blood and chunks of Hel knows what spattered against his skin. He staggered to his feet, fear jumping in his veins and closed his eyes against the sudden head-spin and began shouting, "Heimdall? Heimdall open the Bifrost!" He opened his eyes and glared up at the rapidly closing portal, "Damn it all to Hel... This is NOT FUNNY! Thor if this is some stupid trick or game I swear I'm going to _kill_ you!" No answer came to him. Hurt and confusion punched him hard, "Is this my punishment? You sent me to Midgard? I thought I had already been given my sentence!"

The portal snapped shut. Loki snarled,

"DAMN IT! DAMN YOU ALL!" He shouted, wringing his hands and curling his fingers into fists. His anger sparked, igniting purple and black spirals of magic that shot off him like fireworks, leaping onto anything they could find before the god collapsed to his knees, "I'll find my way back... then you'll all pay," He seethed.

"Chin up, Laufeyson. No need for such a defeatist attitude,"

Loki jumped to his feet, magic at his fingertips and ready to fight. The blonde man, who had been dying on the floor mere seconds ago, was stood in front of him, the hole in his chest gone and a lopsided smirk on his face. The Trickster dropped his stance, snuffing out his runes,

"But- but- but you were... you were _dead_," He stuttered, "H-how"

"Ah yes, well I have _you_ to thank for that," He smiled, "That little magical tantrum back there did me the world of good. A little spark of yours hit me right there," He pointed at the hole in his armour to a small pink scar- all that was left of his fatal wound.

Loki gaped at him a moment, "I uh, well, you're welcome?" He paused awkwardly, "I'm very sorry, but just who are you?"

"How rude of me!" The man exclaimed and thrust his hand out and Loki saw that it was littered with strange tattoos and runes, "The name's Jaegurn and I'm here to help you on your quest to stop the Nine Worlds from ending!"

Loki stared blankly at him, "What do you mean 'stop the Nine Worlds from ending'?"

**(PAGE BREAK)**

**Sorry about it being so short, it was only supposed to be a filler but I promise the next one will be longer (: **

**Any questions or comments welcome (:**


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